End of Direct TV SD should I switch to Dish?
Finally got a notice from Direct TV that they will start systematically ending their SD service in July 2021. I am not necessarily looking for all the bells and whistles of multichannel viewing, recording or using more than one TV at a time. I have a wireless repeater that can send the TV signal to the bedroom TV. We currently have the DNS feeds from LA and NYC. Reviewing the program packages, it appears that the Dish On the Go Channel lineup can include ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox out of Denver. Is this accurate?
Direct TV says they will replace my receiver for free. They were not sure about the antenna.
I currently have a portable SD dish (one LNB) which is usually not that hard to setup. How much harder is it to setup the 3 LNB slimline dish? It does not appear that any of the portable automatic antennas work with Direct TV HD.
In my research, it seems that Direct uses satellites at 99, 101 and 103. The Dish western arch is 110, 119, 129 and the eastern arch is 61.5, 72.7, 77. In the 17 years that we have had Direct SD, the 101 Satellite has been relatively easy to lock onto just about anywhere we have been from Montana to the mid-Atlantic states. It is high enough in the sky that the dish does not have to be all that far away from even pretty tall obstructions. Looking at the Dish satellite locations the 119 and 129 look to be pretty low on the horizon and the western arc and eastern arc satellites are spread over a much wider degree range than the Direct satellites. The Tailgator and Playmaker can use the Dish 61.5 satellite in place of the 129, but this greatly increases the spread of the satellites being used. The Pathway X2 can use the Dish eastern arch satellites which seem to be higher in the sky and less spread out. If the automatic dish can not acquire all the satellites. Can channels on the satellites it can acquire be watched?
Any experience on how much if any switching from Direct to Dish affects being able to actually get a satellite signal without always being in a wide open lot or the desert would be greatly appreciated. Also, the automatic dishes all seem to recommend no more than 50' of coax. In some cases with the SD dish we have used up to 300' and still gotten good reception. Any experience/comments on what the real world limit on coax length for the automatic dishes is? What receiver and what antenna are you using?
Thanks for any and all comments.
Direct TV says they will replace my receiver for free. They were not sure about the antenna.
I currently have a portable SD dish (one LNB) which is usually not that hard to setup. How much harder is it to setup the 3 LNB slimline dish? It does not appear that any of the portable automatic antennas work with Direct TV HD.
In my research, it seems that Direct uses satellites at 99, 101 and 103. The Dish western arch is 110, 119, 129 and the eastern arch is 61.5, 72.7, 77. In the 17 years that we have had Direct SD, the 101 Satellite has been relatively easy to lock onto just about anywhere we have been from Montana to the mid-Atlantic states. It is high enough in the sky that the dish does not have to be all that far away from even pretty tall obstructions. Looking at the Dish satellite locations the 119 and 129 look to be pretty low on the horizon and the western arc and eastern arc satellites are spread over a much wider degree range than the Direct satellites. The Tailgator and Playmaker can use the Dish 61.5 satellite in place of the 129, but this greatly increases the spread of the satellites being used. The Pathway X2 can use the Dish eastern arch satellites which seem to be higher in the sky and less spread out. If the automatic dish can not acquire all the satellites. Can channels on the satellites it can acquire be watched?
Any experience on how much if any switching from Direct to Dish affects being able to actually get a satellite signal without always being in a wide open lot or the desert would be greatly appreciated. Also, the automatic dishes all seem to recommend no more than 50' of coax. In some cases with the SD dish we have used up to 300' and still gotten good reception. Any experience/comments on what the real world limit on coax length for the automatic dishes is? What receiver and what antenna are you using?
Thanks for any and all comments.
